


Into the Unknown | Jack Howl

by cmaHeal



Series: Twisted Ballroom Pieces 2021 [2]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, TWST_ballLit, TwistedBallroomCollection2K21, and ofc we have a rly rly pushy!reader that should’ve ended up in rsa but that’s okie lmaooo, and then else popped into my head, and then the research I did for him came flooding in, anyway i had fun hehe, i wanted smth to compliment him? and i hope this worked hehe, jack’s a very very good boy and it’s so easy and hard to tell what he does and their meaning....., so im like. what do i write for him?, yep that’s the first tag lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:07:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28468014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmaHeal/pseuds/cmaHeal
Summary: Yuu tries to plan the — not perfect — but most realistic date she can. Until Jack told them that he could handle it.The result? Clumsiness worth a little bit more than the trouble.Written for the Twisted Ballroom Collection.
Relationships: Jack Howl & Reader, Jack Howl & Yuu | Player, Jack Howl/Reader, Jack Howl/Yuu | Player
Series: Twisted Ballroom Pieces 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119188
Kudos: 10





	Into the Unknown | Jack Howl

“...So that’s it,” you say with a melancholic sigh. “I really have no idea what I’m supposed to do to celebrate the holidays since I know this season is important but… maybe he’d like something else? Sometime else?”

As you pace the nearly deserted halls of Pomefiore, you turn and come to a sudden stop. Vil had placed his hands on top of your shoulders. You wince a little. 

“Yeah, I know this isn’t the best time to be talking about it, when you’re busy with other things, Vil-senpai, but! …Hah, I thought I could use your advice on this one…”

As you turn to face him, you see him shake his head in slight bemusement. “Haven’t you spent time with him yourself? What are you so worried about?”

“I’m worried that he’ll be worried about this!” You throw your hands up in slight exasperation. You wanted this to be perfect for him, just a time when the two of you can relax and let yourself go into the moment a bit more, but… “I wanted to plan this out to make sure he can relax a bit about this. You know how he is -- it’s hard for him to find the right company and atmosphere to just… make mistakes sometimes. And… um…” You left out the part where you wanted to see more sides to him. Guilty enough as it is, it’s something you’ve been trying to set up for the two of you a while ago. But it’s never ended with that right  _ oomph _ you thought it should end in. Not the “out there” kind, but the relaxing kind. It was just the two of you worrying if you’ll get home in time or not if you went too far, and if you had a trip too close to the school, it ended up being in your comfort zones a little  _ too  _ much for it to become overbearing.

Long story short, you wanted this to be just right. 

“I know you and Jack were childhood friends--” even the slightest information like that was never hard to keep from Azul, although now you owe him some photos on whatever trip you end up taking Jack on, the little octopus, “--so I thought it would be fine to come to you for some advice. If you aren’t too busy, of course, Vil-senpai. I’m not looking for anything perfect, just… realistic.”

Vil sighs, then motions for you to follow him. You quickly wander further into Pomefiore before stopping at the door to his room. After a bit of sleuthing through his things, he picks up a cardstock image of… Pyroxene?

“If you’re looking for something, then this should be fine,” Vil said, giving the postcard to you. “It’s close to his pack’s territory for him to know about it, although I haven’t seen him go there yet. This would be the perfect place for the two of you to go together.”

Your eyes glimmer with glee at the postcard’s image. According to legend, it was a tourist attraction to the Snow Queen’s ice palace. It’s not closed, but there aren’t many people around this time because of winter. However, for Jack… “It’s just right! Thank you, Vil-senpai!”

… It’ll be fine if you made this a surprise trip, right?

The next time you met up with Jack, you caught him at one of his track and field meets. You nodded to him with anticipation, gifting him the postcard face down to not ruin the surprise.

“So we’re going next week?”

At the moment, the steps of other runners clambering at the grounds matched perfectly with your heartbeat.

“Yep! I figured since everyone is going to be out and about just preparing for the ball happening at NRC, we could use it as an escape to just enjoy ourselves away from that for a bit! If you’re not too busy, of course,” you added quickly.

“No, I’m not too busy, but…” His tail flickers from side to side a bit before he starts scratching his head. “I… actually wanted to take you to somewhere nice too.”

“Oh!” you exclaimed. That… wasn’t surprising, but…

Do you let him take you somewhere nice, or insist that you have a good location in mind already?

_...Agh, I can’t just leave him there with his tail wagging so excitedly like that…! _

“That’s alright, yeah!” You figured it was alright for him to take the both of you somewhere. “As long as it’s somewhere we can both have some fun at, I won’t mind at all!”

The gentle smile Jack gives you makes the decision worth it. Quietly, you tuck the postcard into your back pocket. “Emphasis on the ‘both’ part, Jack,” you say to him.

“Don’t worry,” he sighs. “I’ve got this.”

“Is there anything I need to get ready before next week, then? I’ll bring some sweets or lunch or-”

Jack shakes his head. “Not much. Just dress warmly.”

Bundled into your winter coat, a tight scarf, and some knitted gloves, you met up with Jack at the entrance gates to NRC. It was already so cold at NRC, how colder can you expect it to get? You had no clue, but this is why you prepared for the event thoroughly. And brought a few snacks you’re going to keep hidden away.

You’ve often been told about your meticulousness sometimes, but whatever gets the water running, you often reply in return.

“Ah, Jack!” you exclaim, waving your hands at him. “I’m here! What did you -- whoa, what’s the sports bag for?”

As he approaches you, you notice his soft breaths turn into white clouds in the cold. He came closer and closer until you could practically feel his breath on yours.

He notices this too, and backs away slightly to give the both of you some space.

“Sorry, just a force of habit,” Jack answers. “Usually, when I see my siblings shivering, I move closer to them to keep some warmth… It’s not like I’m not worried! …Aren’t you cold right now? We won’t be able to do, well--” he shakes the bag for emphasis, “-- _ this _ , if you’re too cold already. I have an extra sweater in my bag to tuck under that coat if you need it--”

“No!” you protest, shaking your head. “No, no, it’s alright, it’s alright. I have an extra sweater in here!” You lift the backpack you were holding. “It’s alright, you don’t need to lend me yours. I’m cool!” Ah, bad phrasing-- “I mean I’m hot! Wait no, that one didn’t come off right either--”

Jack puts his head into one of his hands. “Look, just tell it to me straight. What is it?”

You sigh. “Ah, it’s not that I didn’t want to be here, but…”

“…You’ve really been worried about me, haven’t you?”

“Ah, that’s not…!” you sigh again. How were you supposed to put this into understandable phrases? “I’m not…  _ worried _ worried, in that way, but… I just want to make sure you’re not just doing this to impress me. Or anything like that… hm…”

You see his ears slightly droop. “Ah. I see.”

You sigh again. “I’m sorry, I don’t know the words for it! It’s… a little different to say it than to think it, hehe…”

Jack bits down his lip. “It’s fine. Let’s get to the location first. I hope you aren’t cold right now…”

To say the absolute least, the next hour or so in transit was a little more than awkward. Even though you felt  _ starving _ and wanted to munch on the treats you brought, you know that showing them in front of Jack when he told you that you didn’t need to bring them wasn’t going to help relieve the awkwardness any more than screaming would at that point. You fidget in your seat a bit.

Ah, but you were starving… 

Wait, no, a lack of self-discipline was what brought you into this situation in the first place. At this point, you just figured rolling with it would be fine--

At this point, Jack notices your fidgeting and reaches into his bag to grab… a cheese-glazed bun? “If you’re hungry,” he said, “you can just say so. You’ll need a bit of energy for the trek uphill after we get off at the station near the location.”

You’re glad the scarf was pulled over your face because you can already feel a random rush of heat coming on your cheeks. “T-thanks…” you nimbly replied, taking the bun with both of your hands. You bit into a good chunk of the bun, but you excused yourself because you were hungry.

You hear a slight chuckle. Instantly, you turn to gaze at Jack. “It’s nothing, it’s nothing,” he said, hands still clasped softly in his lap. “…I think I got what you meant. What you said before, I mean.”

You quietly raise an eyebrow. “I couldn’t even get me when I said what I said, haha, so it’s alright--”

Jack shook his head. “And now you’re doing it again.”

The eyebrow went further up. “What do you mean by that…?”

“Well,” Jack said with a sigh, “you always worry about me worrying too much over you. I don’t know if it’s because you want to assert dominance, or if it’s because you want to care for me.”

He paused. Well, you thought he paused because you definitely expected something else to come after that. “What else?”

“Nothing else,” he said, “because… I want to get a chance to hear it from you. I don’t want to judge you or anything for it… I’m pretty quick to do that, and… it’s something I’m learning to explore. And among other things… learning with a difficult person like you makes it a little more worth learning, at least.”

“Hey!” you shouted quietly because the bun was in your mouth and you were on a train. “I’m not difficult!” Even still, you quietly thanked him for the light-hearted tease. “I’m just… I’d rather get to see all of your sides… when you try to make yourself seem more powerful or more honourable to others is usually what everyone sees… And at that point, it’s only when they really take a glance at you…

“I guess I just wanted you to release yourself a bit… And I’m going to try my best to explore as many sides to you as I can, no matter what! …Staying within a realistic level of comfort, of course.”

Jack blinked at this. “Yuu… I’m…”

Behind him, his tail did a little dance. He quietly turned his head away, and the flickers of the bushy fur behind him disappeared into the curve of his seat.

Softly, you smiled.  _ I know the things you do all the time are to always help better yourself, but… _

_ …I hope you hear my feelings loud and clear. _

As the two of you reached the location spot, you stared in quiet awe at it all.

For one… it was really, really pretty.

During the trek up the mountain, you noticed tall, cryogenic spires towering to heights above the mountaintop that you wouldn’t even dream of building there. From a distance, they looked so thin, but up close… you were sure you could climb them up if you had wanted to. A beautiful imprint into the balcony and gates left a regal impression on you. And not to mention… even though it was supposed to be freezing at the top of a mountain this high with an ice structure right beside you, it felt soothing instead.

With all of that said, the second reason you were staring in awe at it… was because this was the Snow Queen’s ice palace you had wanted to take the two of you to from before.

“I haven’t been here before,” Jack said, “and I definitely don’t think you’ve been here either, but I thought you’d enjoy something like this.”

And at that point, you had to laugh.

“W-What’s wrong?” Jack sputtered.

“A-ah, sorry, it’s just-” you let out a few tiny giggles before grounding yourself, “-I wanted to take us here before. When I asked you before on the field, I’m- wow, this is- this is a funny coincidence. But it’s also nice.”

“You really wanted to go here?” Jack asked, eyes widening a bit.

“Well, to tell you the truth…” You thought to yourself a bit, before saying the next few words. “I wanted to come here. With you. And although it was initially because I wanted you to enjoy yourself… I’m just happy we were thinking of the same thing, right? It feels nice and a little bit reassuring, I guess…”

Jack’s tail was wagging again. “Yeah… I guess you’re right there. But we’re not done yet.”

He tugged at his sports bag so it was sitting on his lap. And from the sports bag, he pulled out two pairs of skates.

“Do you want to skate?”

Now, this time, your eyes widened. “A-ah, sure, but… but I don’t think I’ve learnt how to yet…”

Jack shrugged. “That’s alright, I can teach you. Come here, I’ll show you how to tie them.”

You went towards him and sat down in a corner nearby. You noticed he was snuggling closer towards you as he opened the skate laces.  _ Warm, _ you thought to yourself.

You smiled at this. All of this, really.

This wasn’t how you thought the night would turn out, but…

…hand clasped in hand, arms tangled in arms with bated breaths, you figured that in the moment? The Jack who was always worried over the both of you… he was an amazing person to spend your time with already.

**Author's Note:**

> HI thank you to everyone who participated! this is one out of three stories I did for the collab I’m shameless lmaooo
> 
> here’s the docs to a bunch of other stories!! please go check out everyone’s hard work!!
> 
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s5Ie42_A1tZL1Ym46QD8BtIvvQ9GhBqpq67SQeyrwcI/edit
> 
> and here’s the wonderful server where this collab was mainly held!! please join us there for some more fun opportunities like this later on >;3c
> 
> https://discord.gg/58mq9AZSxJ
> 
> yeah that’s all!! y’all heard my gratitudes on my other social media hehe, come find me on [@_cmaHeal](https://twitter.com/_cmaHeal) on twitter!


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